Booze on the boat: BC Ferries will serve alcohol starting next month

BC Ferries to start selling alcohol this October BC Ferries says it will begin serving alcohol onboard its Victoria-Vancouver sailings this October.

Passengers will soon be able to order beer and wine during some BC Ferries sailings, the service provider said.

The plan to serve alcohol on board was previously announced, but was supposed to start in June.

Delays in the licensing process meant the pilot project was put on hold, but on Monday, BC Ferries announced there will be booze on its boats late next month.

Beer and wine will be added to the menu on a trial bases on three vessels only, for now: the Spirit of Vancouver Island, Spirit of British Columbia and Coastal Celebration.

Of the South Coast sailings, alcohol will only be an option on the route between Vancouver and Victoria (Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay).

It's already available on northern routes to and from Port Hardy, Prince Rupert, Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast, but this is the first time travellers can drink while they sail between the provincial capital and Metro Vancouver.

During the one-year trial, alcoholic beverages can only be ordered with a meal. Passengers 19 and up are also limited to one drink per person.

Drinks are only available in the buffet area, not the cafeteria.

Throughout the year, BC Ferries will collect customer and employee feedback and monitor revenue to determine whether the pilot is successful.

And the company issued a reminder to passengers through its announcement: there is zero tolerance for impaired driving.